Mentoring Novice Teachers

"A much-needed resource for teacher mentors. The new and updated strategies and practical approach will give mentors crucial support as they provide assistance and encouragement to new teachers. Portner has clearly demonstrated the importance of both theory and practice in this practical guide." —Priscilla Miller, Director Center for Teacher Education & Research, Westfield State College A comprehensive guide for developing successful mentors! Quality mentoring can provide the support and guidance critical to an educator′s first years of teaching. In the latest edition of the best-selling Mentoring New Teachers, Hal Portner draws upon research, experience, and insights to provide a comprehensive overview of essential mentoring behaviors. Packed with strategies, exercises, resources, and concepts, this book examines four critical mentoring functions: establishing good rapport, assessing mentee progress, coaching continuous improvement, and guiding mentees toward self-reliance. Tools and topics new to this edition include: Teacher mentor standards based on the NBPTS Core Propositions and validated by members of the International Mentoring Association and other practitioners Classroom observation methods and competency instruments Tools to assess preferred learning styles Approaches to mentoring the nontraditional new teacher A guide for careerlong professional development School leaders, experienced and prospective mentors, and staff developers can use this step-by-step handbook to create a dynamic mentoring program or revitalize an existing one.

The first edition of Mentoring Beginning Teachers was named an Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association's Choice magazine in 2000. The expanded second edition -- packed with insights, anecdotes, and updated research -- provides mentors with a road map for helping new teachers become confident, reflective educators. The collaborative model outlined in the book is enlightening and rewarding for the mentor and the novice alike. The authors have incorporated the latest findings on all aspects of mentoring --from preparing to be a mentoring guide or coach to school culture and parent outreach. Teachers will find five new chapters on working with ELL students, working with parents, curriculum mapping, school culture, and the role of administrators within an effective mentoring system. Organized around a series of questions, the book allows mentors to quickly locate practical advice to match any mentoring situation. The range of resources includes: recommendations for pairing mentors and teachers, questions to jump-start conversations, ideas for teacher reflection, and answers to the most commonly asked mentor questions. Mentoring Beginning Teachers, Second Edition provides a comprehensive and tested plan for helping mentors guide new teachers in moving beyond the basics of plan/teach/evaluate to a higher level of joint assessment and inquiry.

This survey of best practices is extremely useful to those charged with setting up state and local mentoring programs and provides a logical framework to convince policy makers to support teacher-induction programs. Case studies and discussion questions make this a valuable textbook for teacher education courses and tool for faculty in the school setting.

This book draws together various theoretical and research-based perspectives to examine the institutionalization of mentoring processes for beginning teachers. Teacher induction, defined as the guidance provided to new teachers, is increasingly gaining traction as a key stage in promoting quality education. Major efforts have been put into reducing transitional challenges from being a student teacher to a practicing teacher; optimizing professional relationships and socialization into school dynamics; and increasing teacher retention. Mentoring has been proven to add benefits in assisting beginning teachers during the early years of their teaching career, because it provides the required knowledge and skills to face uncertain school scenarios and the complexities of practice. However, teacher induction programs are not part of regular instruction in many countries. The lack of teacher training during the induction phase might result in lower levels of commitment, professional isolation, or even attrition. This book calls for more concrete mentoring processes for early career teachers, and questions how this can be put into practice.

In their book, Othman and Senom provide a unique insight into the challenges faced by novice English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers and establish how mentoring can provide effective support for new teachers' professional development. The book demonstrates the theoretical background for viewing mentoring as a process crucial to novice teachers' development, particularly to the teachers' ability to succeed and grow in a specific workplace environment. Using case studies from a Malaysian context, this book provides a comprehensive understanding of how mentoring can serve as a strategy to facilitate the transition of novice ESL teachers from a teacher education programme to life in real classrooms. Through its case studies, the book will examine both theoretical and practical issues for mentors, teacher educators, policymakers, and administrators when mentoring new ESL teachers. This book will be valuable to researchers who are particularly interested in exploring novice teachers' identity development, and experienced teachers to help guide new teachers through the socialization process in their schools.

This updated resource helps mentors develop skills for guiding new teachers and offers reflections, discussion prompts, and role plays to promote effective interactions between mentors and beginning teachers.

Before today’s teachers are ready to instruct the intellectual leaders of tomorrow, they must first be trained themselves. Every teacher experiences an induction process that can make their early years as an educator nerve-racking. Focusing on this period of time in a teacher’s career can lead to greater teacher retention and success. Examining the Teacher Induction Process in Contemporary Education Systems addresses the construct of teacher induction through theoretical and empirical research. It also provides an in-depth conceptualization of being a novice teacher through micro-political realities of teaching in different geographical and cultural regions. While highlighting topics including adaptation challenges, mentor-mentee interaction, and teacher retention, this book is ideally designed for school administrators, early career teachers, educational researchers, educational professionals, and academicians seeking current research on early career educator adaptation and practices.

Use this updated resource to prepare for your journey into teaching This newly revised and updated 2nd edition of The First Years Matter provides key actions steps and a flexible twelve-month curriculum - including July for reflection and planning - to help you proactively prepare for your first few years in the classroom. Maximize your effectiveness in the classroom as you: Apply mentoring lessons to differentiate instruction Integrate student voice Prepare for teacher observations and standardized testing Gather evidence to document your progress This updated version includes a robust companion website featuring videos, downloadable forms, and a journal for reflection. Use with Mentoring in Action, the companion guide for mentors!